ODOR IN BASEMENT

[John T Caskey]

I HAVE A QUESTION. HAVE AN ODOR IN BASEMENT. MY HOUSE IS OLD PROBABLY 120 YEARS OR SO. SMELL IS LIKE SEWER GAS OR SOMETHING. I HAVE A SEPTIC TANK WHICH IS PROBABLY 20 FET OR SO FROM BASEMENT. HAD IT PUMPED OUT. INSTALLED A NEW HOT WATER TANK, I VENTED IT OUT THE BASEMENT WINDOW AND RAN THE PIPE UP THE SIDE OF THE CHIMMNEY PAST THE SECOND STORY WINDOW. THE MYSTERY IS THE ODOR ONLY COMES WHEN THE WEATHER STARTS COOLING DOWN. IT WILL SMELL AFTER TAKING A BATH. WHEN THE DAY WARMS UP THERE IS NO SMELL. THE HEAT IS NOT ON. WHEN WINTER COMES THE SMELL STAYS UNTIL IT WARMS UP IN THE SPRING. WHEN I DO DISHES OR LAUNDRY IT DOES NOT SMELL, BUT THE GRAY WATER GOES OUT THE BASEMENT IN A PIPE THAT JUST RUNS INTO THE WOODS. THE BIGGEST TIME FOR THE SMELL IS AFTER TAKING A BATH. THE TUBS AND TOILET BOTH GO INTO THE SEPTIC SYSTEM. THE WHOLE HOUSE SMELLS AND THEN AFTER AWHILE IT GOES AWAY. I HAD A MASTER PLUMBER TELL ME IT WAS THE HOT WATER HEATER AND VENTING. SO I REPLACED IT. TWO OTHER PLUMBERS HAD NO IDEA. I EVEN CALLED ROTO-RUTTER. HE LOOKE AND LOOKED. HE THOUGJT MAY BE IT WAS A FLOOR DRAIN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I SEALEDTWO DRAIN HOLES TEMPERARIALLY TO NO AVAIL. I WOULD GLADLY PAY JUST ABOUT ANY AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR THE ANSWER. WHEN IT COOLS DOWN IN THE MORNINGS NEARER FALL THE BILCO DOORS AND WINDOWS ARE IN THE SAME CLOSED POSITION AS THEY WERE WHEN THERE WAS NO SMELL. THE ONLY THING THAT I KNOW FOR SURE IS THAT IT IS THE SAME SMELL YEAR AFTER YEAR AND IT STARTS HAPPENING WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IN THE MORNING IS COOL. I GREW UP IN THIS HOUSE. I MOVED HERE WHEN I WAS 2 AND BOUGHT IT WHEN MY PARENMTS DIED IN 1999. I AM 52. HELP ME PLEASE. I WIULL OWE SOMEONE BIG TIME

---

[Retired plbg1Participant]

If house is that old the pipesw could be bad. have your Plumber put a peperment test are a smoke test on the Plumbing pipes and see if some are rotted out are bad, also could be comming from septic tank through ventpipe on roof. You also can have a camera run through pipe iunder slab to see what shape it is in, let me know.

---

Art retired plbg

[PLUMBILLParticipant]

It could be a number of things, I agree with Art you should start with a peppermint test to make sure the plumbing is or isn’s causing this.

[Author]

Posts